Local Goa News

Sunday, June 12, 2016

NHAI to work on two NH expansion projects in Goa

VASCO: In a setback to the public works department, the Union ministry of road transport and highways has transferred NH17 and NH4A proposed four-laning works to the National Highway Authority of India’s project implementation unit in Goa.
Highly reliable sources in the NHAI said the two projects in the state,
whose detailed project report has been under preparation through the PWD, have been be handed over to the national agency.
The NH17 project aims at expanding 136-km stretch from the southernmost Goa border to the northernmost state border, while the NH4A expansion project is envisaged to widen 69-km stretch from easternmost Goa border to Panaji.
Road projects proposed in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have also been handed over to the NHAI authorities. The total length of the projects, including that of Goa, is around 1,110 km, a NHAI official said.
“It has been decided with the approval of competent authority to transfer the proposed four lane stretches/projects of the national highways identified under the NHDP from state agency. Therefore, around 11 projects/stretches which are at ‘detail project report stage’ are transferred with immediate effect,” stated the order issued by the Union ministry of road transport and highways to the NHAI chairman.
A senior NHAI official said that factoring in the poor quality of the roads in the state and other various parts of India, the Union ministry of road transport and highways might have taken the decision to transfer the projects, categorized under NHDP III, NHDP IV and NHO (VGF), to the NHAI from state agencies.
The reliable sources also said the NH17B project connecting the Mormugao port and estimated to cost around Rs 536 crore is likely to be handed over to the NHAI from the PWD.

PWD hasn’t received any information
Principal chief engineer of PWD Uttam Parsekar has said that he was not aware of any such development.
“The department has not received any communication in this regard as yet,” he stated.
The detailed project report has been under preparation by the Hyderabad-based consultant R V Consultancy for the two infrastructure works.